may haue the surer hope of happines in heauen for blessed are the pure in heart they shall see thee O God Blesse me then good Father with the blessing of sanctity in this life and of euerlasting felicity in the life to come for the Lord Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Knowledge MOst blessed and heauenly Father I confesse by nature I am a creature most miserable so blinded and darkened by sinne as I know not what may make for thy glory or the comfortable saluation of my poore soule the darkness of Aegypt was not so blacke so palpable as the blindnesse and darknesse of my soule O Lord my God my suit vnto thee is with blind Bartimeus that I may receiue my sight Marke 10.51 send mee Lord some or other good Ananias to vnscale mine eies that I may iudge and see the wonders of thy Law Acquaint me good Father by thy Law with my wofull sinnes thy fearefull curses due vnto mee for the same that so I may bee broken hearted for them and made capable of remission and saluation acquaint mee also with thy promise made vnto the hūbled in Iesus Christ for forgiuenesse for thou giuest grace to the humble acquaint mee also with the way of the regenerate affect my soule with holinesse that so I may come to saluation in the end this is life eternall to know thee thus and him whom thou hast sent euen Iesus Christ Iohn Make good vnto me that thy gracious promise Psal 25. thou wilt impart thy secrets to them that feare thee Lord discouer thy glory vnto me that I may answerably feare thy Name reueale thy will O Lord most plentifully vnto mee that I may strictly serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of my life for Iesus sake Amen A Prayer for Humiliation MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God seeing that thine holy Word hath taught mee that the Lord Iesus came to saue none but sinners grieued sinners wounded sinners such sinners as would neuer sinne more and moreouer thou wilt look to none but to such as are of a contrite spirit Esay 66.2 and tremble at thy words O Lord Esay 66.2 breake mine heart for breaking thy commandements and smite my soule for sinning against thee grant I may bee ashamed of the filthinesse of my sinnes grieue for offending so louing a God by them and quake and tremble lest thou shouldst condēne me in thy strict iustice for them for euermore if my sinfull soule bee not thus rent thus tormented for my wicked sinnes in this life I cannot escape at the day of iudgement the damnation of hell better ten thousand times to haue my hell here than hereafter Lord therefore bruise my soule for all my vile transgressions and fearefull abhominations And leaue mee not good Lord I pray thee in these my soule afflictions affrightments but when thou hast sufficiently corrected mee then Lord turne again and reuiue mee Psal say vnto my soule thou art thou wilt bee my saluation for thou hast made this gracious promise that the laden shall bee eased and the wearied shall bee refreshed Lord heare then these my mournfull praiers and let these my groning cries come vp vnto thee for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Faith MOST deare and gracious God I humbly beseech thee to cut mee off from the stocke of corruption and sinne and that by sound humbling and to plant mee who art that heauenly husbandman by the power of thy blessed Spirit into that holy stocke the Lord Iesus and that by effectuall beleeuing Lord giue mee to liue by faith and not by flesh by grace and not by sinne for they that are in Christ Iesus walk not after the flesh Rom. 8.1 but after the Spirit Grant gracious God I may rest vpon thee in thy Son Christ for forgiuenesse of sin and for life euerlasting grant vpon this my deliuerance I may liue to the praise of thee my blessed Redeemer in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of my life grant holy Father I may not onely by faith depend vpon all thy promises for this life and for heauen but likewise by the same faith labor to walke in the obedience of all thy commandements O Lord increase my faith for my heart is full of doubting thou O Lord art faithfull and true yea truth it selfe why should I then wauer My soule is weake through my remaining corruptions in obeying thy holy Word Lord strengthen mee my heart is faint and ready to sink vnder the least triall and affliction Lord for thy mercies support and comfort mee Giue me my deare God to beleeue beyond beleefe when I feele not to rest vpon thee for comfort as thy seruant Iob Iob. resolued Lord if thou killest me yet will I put my trust in thee Lord giue me by faith clearely to see my sinnes pardoned my life reformed my soule reconciled with thee and my name written in the booke of heauen Most louing Father I pray thee grant mee thy grace that I may deny my selfe that I may wholly rest vpon Christ Iesus and follow his heauenly commandements for life grant that my faith Iam. 2.26 may not bee a dead faith but a liuely walking working faith that is a dead and vaine faith that moueth not in the obedience of thy most holy commandements thus I pray thee guide me by thy good Spirit into all truth that thy power of grace possessing me in this life I may haue the better hope of eternall saluation in the life to come and that for the merits of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer for Obedience O Lord God most mighty most glorious I most humbly craue thy gracious and louing fauour that I may bee inabled by strength and power receiued from thee to walke in absolute obedience before thee Lord let mee not doe my will but thy will in all things Luke 7.8 as the Centurion said of his seruants He said to one goe and hee goeth to another come and he commeth to another doe this and hee doth it Lord grant me the like obedience and tractability to thy will in all things 1 Sam. 15.22 Lord giue me to vnderstand that obedience is better than sacrifice yea to obey is the best of all sacrifices let mee then obey thee in all thy commandements and submit vnto thee in all thy corrections not my will but thy will most willingly bee yeelded vnto in all things my Lord my God O Lord vouchsafe me sincerity in this my most bounden duty seruice that I may obey thee in one commandement as well as in another let mee with thy godly seruant Dauid Psal 119. euermore haue respect vnto all thy commandements O then that my waies were made so direct that I may neuer sinne more but in all things do thy righteous iudgments O let it bee my meat and drinke the obedience of thy will O that I could finde out the old
and excessiue delight of the same grant that no worldly honour pleasure profit may deceiue me but I beseech thee that thy lower blessings may be receiued of mee with a lower loue and thine heauenly graces thine eternall glories with the greatest glory and chiefest delight of my soule Lord for thy Christs sake heare mee herein Amen Amen A Praier against Pride MOst deare and gracious God I most humbly intreat thee so to assist mee with thy grace that I may euermore take heed of that first and worst sinne the sinne of the Deuill namely pride O Lord grant I may neuer be puffed vp in minde nor haue a scornfull eye for pride will haue a fearfull fall and high-mindednesse alwayes goeth before destruction Dan. 4.27 28. Nabuchadnezzar paid dearly for his vaine and foolish vaunting and that proud and boasting Pharisee went home condemned for his sinne Luk. 18.14 O Lord then giue mee power and strength against this wicked lust this base and senselesse sinne Let not O God of all goodnesse this euill appeare in mee by mine apparell speech looke gate or any other vnseemely behauiour for thou O God resistest the proud and giuest thy grace only to the humble Humble mee then I pray thee that I may in due time be euerlastingly exalted of thee in the Lord IESVS Amen A Prayer against Enuie O LORD GOD wheras thou hast taught me by thy blessed Apostle Rom. 12.15 to reioyce with them that reioyce I beseech thee saue and defend mee from that fearfull sinne of Enuy the sinne of Sathan for hee enuied the standing power of Adam the sinne of Cain Gen. 4.5 who vexed his soule at thy graces apparent in Abel O God of thy goodnesse saue mee from this sinne and wickednesse Grant most holy and heauenly Father that I may abound in loue towards my brethren and blesse thee as heartily for any mercie or blessing conferred vpon others as vpon mine owne soule As one member reioyceth in the glory and welfare of another so grant that I may proue my self a true member of Christ Iesus in delighting in the prosperity of thy Saints and seruants Lord keepe me from an hatefull soule and fulfill mine heart with loue to the glory of thy great name and euerlasting saluation of my poore soule in the merits of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer against Adultery MOst mighty and most mercifull Father for as much as thou hast shewen vnto me frō thy holy heauenly word that no vncleane thing shal enter into thy Kingdom and no adulterer shall inherit heauen 1 Cor. 6.9 such shall onely enter into thy glory as haue not defiled thēselues with women as Saint Iohn declareth in his Reuelations Good Father I pray thee purge my soul from all foule and fleshly lusts my body is the Temple of thy holy Spirit Lord let mee neuer defile it grant Lord that I may preserue and present it spotlesse to the comming of the Lord Iesus turne away mine eies that I behold not vanity Matth. 5.20 If mine eye offend mee Lord grant that I may pull it out better for me to go into that life with one eie than to goe with two eies into the darknesse and damnation of hell Giue mee O Lord the helpe of thy grace that I may conquer all beastly lusts all vnclean desires al polluted and polluting actions and be freed from them for the honor of thy name in the worthinesse of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer against Couetousnesse O Eternal euerliuing Lord God thou hast reuealed vnto me from thy blessed word Psal 10.3 that thou abhorrest the couetous and couetousnes is so foule an euill as it is called Spiritual Idolatry O LORD of thy mercy saue my soul from this vile and earthly sinne giue mee to take heed and beware of Couetousnesse for a mans life stands not in his wealth and abundance that man in the Gospel was rightly tearmed a foole for resting on his goods Luke 12.20 making them his God O Lord what greater folly can there bee than to leaue thee the fountaine of liuing waters and to trust in vaine and vncertaine riches for as the Psalmist tels me Psal 49.7 A man by his wealth cannot redeeme his brother so precious is the redemption of souls and their continuance for euer Therefore let my conuersation O Lord be without couetousnes for thou hast promised I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 Lord raise mine heart from earthly mindednesse and let my chiefe delight bee on heauen and heauenly things giue me this couetousnesse namely to couet after spiritual things and let all my delight bee in thy statutes that my life being holy and conuersation heauenly I may in the end obtaine the kingdome of heauen and life euerlasting through Iesus Christ mine onely Lord and Sauiour Amen A Prayer against hardnes of heart O Lord my God I most humbly beseech thee in the Lord Iesus to frame my soul according to thy will to bring mine heart to the obedience of thy holy and heauenly law in all things mollifie my stiffe and stubborne heart giue me a teachable and tractable spirit that I may euermore be guided by the motions of thy holy Spirit and counsell of thy heauenly word into all goodnesse Take away good Father the stoninesse of my heart for I feele much hardnesse in it and giue me an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 giue mee the spirit of good King IOSIAH 2 Chron. 34.27 whose heart melted within him at the reading of thy Law giue mee O Lord to tremble at my sinnes to mourne at thy iudgements to bee comforted by thy mercies in the merits of the LORD IESVS Create in me O Lord a new heart Psal 51.10 and renew a right spirit within mee turne me and I shall bee turned conuert me and then shall my soule be conuerted vnto thee Thy mercies now I aske Lord grant that I may haue thy sweet graces now I seeke grant Lord that I may finde at thy heauenly gates I knock Lord open vnto me the doore of saluation for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer against Drunkennesse MOst deare and gracious God I thine vnworthy seruant am bold vpon the multitude of thy mercies to present my selfe before thee earnestly crauing pardon for my sinnes and thy power and presence of grace for the preuention of them in time to come In particular O Lord I beseech thee that I may bee preserued from that swinish sinne of drunkennesse fearefull are thy woes denounced against the same many other most damnable transgressions alwaies wait vpon the same yea a legion of deuils attends the same as swearing adulterie quarrelling and the like Lord for thy mercies sake saue me from excesse whether I eat or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe else let mee doe all to the glory of thy blessed name And good Father giue me to shun all occasions of this sinne especially I pray thee
pulled out it can doe no harme therefore giue me the wisdome of thy Spirit that I may pull out the sting of death which is sin then death shall not affright mee for as death to the wicked is dismall and packeth to hell so to the godly it is amiable and passeth their soules to heauen grant then deare God that death may be to mee as to all thy Saints seruants the gate to life the end of sinning and sorrowing and the passage of my poore soule to life and glory euerlasting O Lord grant I may euer haue death in mine eie that I may euermore desire it abhor it neuer that I may neuer doe any one act but that I durst doe if I were now dying and called to thy strict tribunall to giue an account for it in my person thus grant mee grace to liue in thy feare and dye in thy fauour and obtaine that blessednesse spoken of in the Reuelations Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord thus prepare me for the first death and saue mee from the second in the merits of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer for a woman in Child-birth MY most louing gracious God thy power is mighty and thy goodnesse answerable to them that feare thee thou art so potent as thou canst doe more than euer thou wilt doe from feare and danger thou canst and wilt deliuer all those that put their trust in thy mercy thus thou sauedst Sydrach frō the fire Dan. 3.27 and didst diuide the Sea to saue the house of Iacob from the host of Pharaoh Exod. 14.28 Lord I beseech thee saue me from my present danger of Child-bearing and bring mee safely through my present straight and miserie thou O Lord that canst make hard things easie shew now thy might and mercy vpon mee Matth. 19.26 that which is impossible with man is easie with thee to bee accomplished I confess O my God that the woman was first in the transgression and therefore this was her iudgment that in sorrow should shee bring forth yet notwithstanding euen through child-bearing she being truely humbled for her sinne shall bee saued 1 Tim. 2.15 if she continue in faith with holinesse Giue me O Lord to rest comfortably vpon thee for deliuerance Lord grant I may cleaue vnto thee in the extreamitie of my paines If I perish Lord I will perish in thy bosome Lord moderate my torments remember Lord I am but dust vnable to beare thy heauy displeasure for my sinne lay no more vpon mee than thou wilt inable mee comfortably to beare thus good Lord blesse me in my soule in my body in the fruit of my wombe for Iesus Christs sake Amen A Prayer after Child-birth MY most deare gracious God whereas thou hast commanded me to call vpon thee in the day of trouble and vpon deliuerance to glorifie thy Name O Lord according to my bounden duty from the bottome of my heart I desire to magnifie thy Name for that thou hast thus graciously preserued mee from paine and peril of Child-birth let me neuer O Lord forget this thine vnspeakable goodnesse and mercy but let it lead mee into all obedience as I liue yet by thee giue mee grace to liue vnto thee and the praise of thy great Name I thanke thee also gracious God for that thou hast made me a ioyfull mother of children good Lord grant I may labour to bring them vp in thy holy feare that as I am an instrument of their generation which is sinfull and damnable so make mee an happy instrument of their regeneration without which neither I nor they can euer see thy Kingdome O God And good Lord I pray thee grant that I may also submit vnto my husband in all due obedience according to thy will that I may be a comfort vnto him liuing faithfully louingly chastly and godlily with him till death vs depart that so thy blessing may bee vpon him my selfe my children and family from this time forth for euermore Amen A Prayer for the Traueller by land ALmighty GOD by whose prouidence all things are directed supported and preserued I pray thee blesse mee in mine out-goings and incommings make I pray thee this my iourney prosperous vnto mee keepe me from sinning and bad society and that by the watch of grace keepe mee also from all outward perills from perill of theeues peril by beasts perill by lightning Psal 91.12 and from dashing my foot at any time against a stone and that by the watch of thy holy and heauenly Angels And good Father as thou didst goe with Iacob and defend him in his long perillous voyage to Laban Cen. 35.3 and didst bring him safely backe againe so I pray thee preserue mee in this my iourney from all dangers bodily and ghostly and bring mee safe home againe to my friends and family for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Praier for the traueller by Sea O Most mercifull gracious heauenly Father I beseech thee in this my dangerous voyage by Sea to prosper defend mee Lord make it profitable and aduantageable vnto mee to this end I pray thee direct my course with safety and giue mee fauourable and conuenient winds defend mee from raging tempests that they may not ouerturne mee saue mee from all dangerous rocks and sands that they may not despoile mee keepe me safe also from piraticall and tyrannous enemies that they may neuer preuaile against me To this end Lord giue me and my whole company to bee constant and instant in praier with thee to spend our houres in hearing and reading thy holy and heauenly Word to flye and shun all euill and when I come to the hauen where I would be Lord giue mee to praise thee for my safe arriuall and saue mee from the sins of the place and people whither I goe and let me not bee corrupted or peruerted by them but grant by my good counsel and holy conuersation I may labour the conuersion of them which mercy if thy Maiesty shall vouchsafe to grant I shall more reioyce in heart than if I had won the whole world And good Lord I pray thee giue mee a safe and timely returne with credit profit comfort that so I tasting of thy mercies in this life I may not faile of saluation when I die and that for Iesus Christs sake Amen A Prayer for the Church O Most glorious mercifull Lord God I pray thee for thy mercies sake behold from heauen thy Church and people honor them Lord that honour thee and confound them that rise vp against thee great is our present misery the earth and world throughout good Lord saue thy seruants from the hands of all their enemies thy Church is euery where despised and despighted and trodden vnder foot of the wicked of the world O Lord sleepe not but arise in thy power and let all thine and our soes bee scattered Giue O Lord thy Gospell a free passage for the
enlargement of thy kingdome all the world thorow in despight of Turke and Pope all malignant enemies of the same continue it where it is where it is not Lord of thy goodnes plant thy heauenly power though wee haue failed and grieuously offended yet correct vs thou in thy mercy and giue vs not ouer a prey vnto their teeth whose tender mercies are cruell downe with Dagon and set vp the glorious Gospell of Christ Iesus among the sonnes of men Now O Lord thy Church is heauily assaulted I beseech thee fight out al our battels and euermore defend vs let them not say There there so would we haue it neither let them say We haue deuoured them let them not mocke and vaunt Where is now their God they cry maliciously Downe with them Psal 137.7 down with them euen to the ground but Lord better than thy Church should bee extinguished the whole army of Sathan to bee confounded If it may bee Lord conuert the enemies of thy Church if that cannot bee Lord confound them Thus Lord I pray thee powerfully protect and graciously direct thy Church on earth and make it one day triumphant in heauen for Iesus sake alone in whom thou art well pleased Amen A Prayer for the conuersion of the Iew. MOst gracious and blessed heauenly Father there was a time wherein thou in thy mercy didst vouchsafe thy Law to Israel all other nations of the world depriued of the same and now is the time wherein they for their contempt of thy Sonne Iesus Christ are depriued of thy Gospell and the Gentiles of the world enlightened with the same and there will come a time wherein Iew and Gentile shall bee of one fold and faith and that is when the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled O Lord pitty the fall of thy first chosen and let not thine anger bee euer against them turne againe O God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and visit them with thy saluation that are now scattered and a despised people ouer the face of the whole earth O Lord conuert them and bring them to the faith of the Lord Iesus dispell the mist of ignorance from their eies and let not such multitudes goe to perdition for Abraham thy seruants sake looke vpon the desolate progeny And seeing contempt and vnbeleefe cast them off Rom. 11.2 Lord giue vs to beleeue obey thy truth left wee also bee cast out and expelled if thou sparedst not the naturall Oliue how wilt thou spare the wilde branch Lord grant that Iew and Gentile may all the world thorow oyne in one faith and truth to thy glory and the saluation of innumerable soules in the LORD IESVS Amen A Morning Prayer for a family O Lord our GOD most mighty glorious and in mercy abundantly gracious wee thy seruants desire this morning and euermore to blesse thy holy and heauenly Name for all thy blessed mercies first and last afforded vs in the Lord Iesus In particular wee blesse thee for thy safe protection and prouidence ouer vs this last night past in keeping vs aliue of thy goodnesse and mercy to this houre day O Lord as we liue by thee giue vs all thy grace to liue vnto thee and to the praise of thy blessed Name And we intreat thy Maiesty to blesse vs this day and euermore to come Lord saue vs from bodily perils and that by the watch of thy good Angels saue vs especially O Lord from sinning against thee and that by the Power and residence of grace in our soules thus blesse vs in body and soule in this life that so wee may haue the surer hope of euerlasting saluation in the life to come And good Father grant that wee may labour and striue against all corruption and sin but most especially against those euils that haue most defiled our soules let vs flie all occasions of them and vse all holy helps against them and in the might and strength of thine all sufficient grace vouchsafe vs daily victory ouer them O that wee could say with thy feruant Paul I thanke my God 1 Cor. 15. concerning sinne I die daily And good Lord so bless vs with thy grace that we may cheerefully and constantly goe on in the performance of all such duties as thou hast appointed for vs to walk in grant that the concupiscence of the eie 1 Ioh. 2.16 the concupiscence of the flesh the pride of life may neuer corrupt and defile vs but let euermore our conuersations be holy and heauenly keepe vs also from idlenesse grant wee may bee alwaies sound exercised in the duties of our calling either generall or particular that when our Lord and Master commeth being found thus vigilant wee may enter with him into the ioy of the Lord. Thus gracious God giue vs to walke in holinesse and vprightnes before thee that so we may both saue our owne soules and those that are about vs for Iesus Christ his sake thy Sonne our Sauiour Amen An Euening Praier for a Family MOST deare and gracious Lord God wee thy humble seruants most earnestly desire thy mercy and compassion vpon vs in pardoning all our sins originall actuall and in giuing vs grace for the preuention of them in time to come and so sanctifie euery of vs that all our ends may be peace O Lord to this end giue vs we pray thee to bee broken in heart for breaking thy commandements smite our sinfull soules for offending thee that so wee may come within compasse of healing and refreshing for none but the laden can be eased and the wearied onely shall bee refreshed And good Father seeing thou hast promised saluation to the humble grant that by faith wee may comfortably rest vpon thy promise for mercy and forgiuenesse and also by power of the same faith liue vnto the praise of thee our Redeemer for euermore Vouchsafe O Lord vnto vs all those blessed graces of thy blessed Spirit onely proper to thine elect and chosen as knowledge vertue faith patience temperance godlines brotherly kindnesse loue if these things be in vs and abound wee shall neuer fall into the ditch of hell Lord turne out sinne and Sathan for wee confesse that wee are out of measure sinfull sinfull by thought sinfull by word sinfull by worke Lord bee merciful vnto vs thus miserable sinners and good Lord let thine holy Spirit make his residence in vs that in this new righteousnes wee shall labour and learne to doe in that wee may saue all our poore soules euerlastingly aliue O Lord blesse with vs thy Church vniuersall Lord saue it from ouerthrow and deliuer it from the present calamity more especially wee beseech thy mercies vpon this nation whereof wee are members this sinfull nation laden with transgression iniquity sinne Lord heale the sores of it pardon the sinnes of it giue it the repentance of Nineue from the Kings person to the begger amongst vs that so thy iudgements may be diuerted from vs. Lord herein wee pray thee blesse the principall Member ouer vs CHARLES by thy good prouidence King of great Britaine France and Ireland giue him a long and lasting life on earth and an euerlasting in heauen blesse our most noble and gracious Queene the Prince and Princesse Palatine and their Princely Issue blesse all the true hearted Nobility all the reuerend Clergie the ciuill Magistracy Gentry Commonalty all Schooles of learning the two Vniuersities all afflicted persons bodily or soulely tormented O Lord deliuer Israel from all their sinnes and sorrowes And good LORD blesse all that are deare and neare in nature vnto vs as father mother brother sister husband wife child LORD giue vs all thy grace in this life thy saluation for euer in heauen And for our selues againe we beseech thee this night to blesse vs in body in soule in basket and store within doores without Lord saue vs from theeues from windes from fire from all dangers and giue vs a sweet rest and comfortable sleepe and for our soules saue them good Lord from sinfull lusts and Sathans assaults that so we being preserued from sin and danger in this life we may not faile of thy mercifull saluation in the end and that for Iesus Christ his sake Amen FINIS